A bird flu wake up call
New Zealand has recorded its first case of highly pathogenic bird flu at an Otago chicken farm.
Mōrena, and welcome to The Bulletin for Tuesday, December 3.
In today’s edition: Pharmac chair won’t express confidence in chief executive, Supreme Court backs Crown appeal over customary marine title decision, and a new poll shows a tight race between the left and right blocs. But first, officials are on high alert after bird flu was detected at an Otago chicken farm.
Bird flu detected at Otago farm
New Zealand has recorded its first case of highly pathogenic bird flu, with 40,000 chickens on an Otago farm set to be culled in efforts to try and stop the spread. As the Otago Daily Times reported, the virus was detected at a commercial egg farm near Moeraki and is believed to have been picked up through interactions with local waterfowl and wild birds. Crucially, the strain identified on the farm is a high pathogenic H7N6 subtype of avian influenza and not the H5N1 type circulating among wildlife elsewhere in the world, meaning transmission to mammals is “unlikely”, according to Biosecurity NZ’s Stuart Anderson. Nevertheless, officials are taking the presence of the virus seriously with a a 10-kilometre “buffer zone” around the farm and restrictions on the movement of animals, equipment, and feed.
As Reuters reported, we’ve suspended all poultry exports until a point at which it’s believed the strain has been eradicated – at least 21 days. “Until we’ve cleaned up the situation on this farm, and assuming no other issues pop anywhere else, then we will be able to export again,” primary industries minister Andrew Hoggard told RNZ.
Humans not at risk
In an interview with RNZ’s Lisa Owen, virologist Jemma Geoghegan said that the H7N6 subtype can be found in many different wild birds and often doesn’t cause disease – meaning it is low pathogenic. However, when it jumps across to chickens, “it can be highly pathogenic which means they have disease and they can die quite rapidly. It can also spread quite quickly between chickens,” she said. But humans are not at risk from this variant of the flu and it will be safe to continue eating chicken and eggs, so long as proper cooking methods are followed. Andrew Hoggard urged people not to “go out and stockpile eggs”.
In comments to the Science Media Centre, public health expert Nigel French said there was a good chance this outbreak could be contained since the affected farm was found early. However, “vigilance and raised awareness for avian influenza is needed, whether it is for the globally circulating H5N1 strain, or locally evolved strain”.
The bigger picture
This outbreak is clearly cause for concern, but it’s not the strain of avian flu that has had officials here on high alert. So far, New Zealand has evaded the H5N1 subtype of bird flu. That’s despite it spreading from birds to mammals, as explained here by The Conversation, though the risk to humans is considered low. Just a week ago, a child in California became the first American minor reported with a case of bird flu – with 55 infections in humans recorded across the United States this year.
Should it make it into New Zealand, there is concern about the devastation it could cause to our native wildlife, as Virginia Fallon looked at in an excellent feature for the Sunday Star-Times over the weekend. “If the virus gets into our taonga, our treasured wildlife in our captive breeding flocks it would be ruinous,” said Kent Deitemeyer, co-founder of Pacificvet. “We have 245 kākāpō, 300 takahē, and that’s it. It’s taken years and years to bring the numbers up; we cannot lose them.”
The vaccine race
It’s understandable that any mention of a potentially dangerous virus will bring back Covid-19 flashbacks. And much like then, the race is on to get our native bird population vaccinated and ready for the probable arrival of H5N1. As RNZ reported in August, the flu has even made it to Antarctica – probably through the arrival of migratory birds – meaning it is almost inevitable it will eventually make it to our shores. As Michelle Duff wrote for The Guardian, New Zealand is currently in the second phase of a vaccination trial on native birds and early results are highly positive. A small group of birds from five critically endangered species – the takahē, kākāpō, tūturuatu, kakī and one type of kākāriki – were given two doses of the vaccine a month apart, starting in late January.
But some, like Kent Deitemeyer and Jemma Geoghegan, are worried the rollout is too slow – yup, another Covid flashback there. “For the species that will be vaccinated, obviously, it’s a great thing, but use of wider vaccination, not just in wildlife, but in poultry and other animals would help us prepare,” Geoghegan told the Sunday Star-Times.
The current outbreak is a timely reminder that New Zealand isn’t immune and the consequences of a more deadly spread could be devastating. This time it’s chickens, but next time it could be our native birds.
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Supreme Court allows Crown appeal on customary marine title
The Supreme Court has backed an appeal by the Crown over a decision by the Court of Appeal regarding customary marine title. Last October, reported Te Aniwa Hurihanganui for 1News, the Court of Appeal attempted to clarify the test for determining how iwi and hapū can have customary title recognised by the courts. But the government argued the decision “materially lowered the threshold” and, in response, introduced new amendments it said would restore the tests as they were intended under the original law. And the Supreme Court agrees, determining that the appeals court “erred in that they appear to have concluded that only interference expressly authorised by statute are capable of substantially interrupting exclusive use and occupation," it said.
Justice minister Paul Goldsmith, reported the Herald’s Jamie Morton (paywalled), said the government would be taking some time to work through the implications the Supreme Court’s ruling will have on legislation before the house. “No decisions have been made.“
Menopause patch decision prompts apology from Pharmac chair
Neither the minister responsible for Pharmac nor the drug agency’s chairwoman will publicly state their confidence in chief executive Sarah Fitt, reported Jenna Lynch for ThreeNews. It’s scrutiny week at parliament and Pharmac was one of the first to face questions yesterday. It comes after the agency recently decided to switch its supplier of menopause patches due to supply reasons. It blindsided Paula Bennett, Pharmac’s board chair, who apologised to those impacted. “I expect better, I will be demanding better,” said Bennett. Pharmac itself hasn’t apologised but Bennett said it needed to take responsibility and acknowledge what went wrong.
Act’s David Seymour, the minister responsible for the agency, said the decision to change providers would be reviewed. "They can't guarantee what the outcome will be, but I would hope that you'll actually see a different decision come out the other side," he said. "No one is denying that the HRT [hormone replacement therapy] project has been done badly... the consultation wasn't proper."
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Click and Collect
A new poll for The Post shows a tight race between the left and right blocs, in what will be welcome news for Labour. Luke Malpass says the numbers paint a picture of a government that is “struggling to convince the public of its prescription for the economic ills facing the nation”.
I enjoyed this Consumer investigation into a recycling company that was caught dumping plastic.
More than 200,000 people were on a Jobseeker benefit in September, risking the government’s 2030 target.
Should Radio New Zealand up its coverage of local books and local authors?
How long would it take you to read, and understand, 4,482 pages? Wellington Councillors have just days to dive into public submissions on the future of the City to Sea Bridge before making a call.
Joe Biden has gone against his word and issued a presidential pardon to son Hunter. It was, argued David Smith for The Guardian, “a heartfelt hypocrisy”.
For BusinessDesk subscribers, I suggest this interview from Pattrick Smellie with “the invisible chair” Wayne Boyd. Just a really nice chat. It’s paywalled, of course.
Joel MacManus argues that it's finally time to just get on with the Golden Mile. Shanti Mathias asks cyclists how they're coping with bike racks on buses being out of action. Preyanka Gothanayagi wonders when migrants can stop representing culture and just create art. Gabi Lardies and Lyric Waiwiri-Smith review six hours and 10 acts at The Others Way. Alex Casey reports on the “really dangerous” teen TikTok UV tanning trend that has made it to Aotearoa. Thomas Giblin rounds up an adorable bear movie and a devastating coming of age tale new to streaming services this week.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading and see you back here tomorrow.
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UPDATE: RNZ has just reported the number of chickens set to be culled has doubled due to the virus spreading to a neighbouring shed.
Oh gods..Is this going to get all the idiots and freedumbers riled up again?
Will they be rolling in their own poo outside parliament and demanding that their demands be met even though they don't really know what their demands are?